[Tokusatsu Themes, Actor TF, Corruption]

Silence. Nothing but silence inside the deepest and darkest reaches of the Darkness. Nobody was there. Not even those that had schemes regarding their allies.

That was what it was like inside the locale belonging to the Cosmos Queens. Thanks to the efforts of the one that had managed to turn four of them against the others by way of her kindness, and managed to make their dearest empress vanish from the limelight. This was what was left of their influence. An empty plane, devoid of color, devoid of anything that made it stand out.

But while it was empty... The ones that belonged on these pads, the ones that answered to Empress Andromeda, they were busy doing their best. No matter what, they'd find a way to carry out their plans. And subjugate the world as a result. As long as this world that they had been hounding could be turned against itself, and the heroine plucked away to ensure that it would fall...

Then it would all be worth it.

---

"Wow, Agatha, I didn't know you were a theater girl!"

The excited voice of one Mikai Fushimi echoed out through the streets as she walked along the well-tiled walkway with her blonde friend by her side. Giggling all the while, despite the fact that they weren't about to do anything really exciting.

"You underestimate my tastes, Mikai. I'm the type of girl that knows the classics. I've seen my Shakespeares, I've seen my Hamlets. I've even seen my Macbeths!" The stout blonde by the name of Agatha Anemone laughed. "And you're lucky. My maids, even that new one you decided to defend that one time, wanted some time off. So I allowed them to rest for the day, while we go out and have a bit of fun together. As good friends should, RIGHT?"

Mikai winced a little as Agatha pulled her close, squeezing into her shoulder a bit harder than she probably should be. But it was all in good fun. "Yeah!" She giggled. Ah, felt nice to spend some time with a good friend. A good friend that was a bit more violent than she probably should be, but she could forgive a bit of it because the girl had been... Well, troubled wasn't the right word. Just not really challenged on her beliefs and her behavior because she was too intimidating to approach due to her money and her mood.

Which was why she was here. And why she was friends with her in the first place. After the two had gotten off on the wrong foot thanks to Mikai's own lack of... Well, being a real person for a good decade, she managed to save the blonde's friend from a lifetime of depressively spiraling further. And that had let Agatha calm down and treat her more humanely. It certainly meant less punches in the face, but that didn't stop her from being a bit rough here and there.

"So, what are we watching?" Mikai asked as she gently pulled her friend's hand away from her shoulder, looking straight at Agatha with awaiting eyes. Honestly, she had never been to a theater. What kind of plays did they put on? What kind of shows? Were there cute boys and cute girls? ...Honestly she didn't really care about that last part but it meant she'd have something to talk about if she paid attention!

Agatha laughed... Before slowly letting her head tilt downward. "I don't know. I just got these tickets in the mail, and I honestly didn't know what to do with them besides ask for you to come with me." Agatha honestly explained, before just tossing her hands into the air. "But enough about what we're going to watch! We're going to watch it, we're going to have fun, and we're going to enjoy ourselves!" She shouted, almost loud enough to alert the people around her and make them stare at her with weird looks. That is, before they realized who they were looking at and quickly scuttling off in a mild sense of fear.

Mikai nodded. She couldn't wait to see what the theater had in store. If she was lucky, she'd get a first hand taste at... Acting? Honestly she could probably be a bit actor. At least that's what she thought those extras were called, but she could do a decent job at acting. Probably!

Of course, she couldn't know that somebody was watching her from a distance. A girl not unlike herself, dressed in a maid uniform as she quietly waited for her chance to strike...

---

"Sorry, there's no play being shown off today."

That was what the two girls heard after they asked about their tickets at the front desk. Despite the fact that the tickets very definitely seemed to be meant for today and this theater, there didn't seem to be a play.

Agatha was this close to blowing her lid. The steam was pouring out of her ears. The fists were getting clenched. And she could just stick her hand through that glass, and... AND..!

"Huh. Weird. Really weird." Mikai muttered as she looked at those tickets that Agatha had dropped just a moment ago, turning them around and looking at anything that seemed out of the ordinary. Anything...

All that really seemed odd was the imprint of a set of ram horns. But that didn't seem that weird now that she thought about it...

"Mmmmmm? What's this now, we have guests?"

The two young girls, who had expected to enjoy themselves with a play on this wonderous day, looked to the side and saw a redheaded young lady, barely a bit older looking that the two of them, dressed in an extravagant cape that was draped over the side of her shoulder, as well as a uniform that made her look rather masculine despite the fact it was definitely made for a girl considering the way her breasts poked out a bit against the fabric, serving to give her a bit of presence...

"Whoa." Mikai muttered. She kinda reminded her of Yuuki-senpai, with how much presence she had. Well, in a different way. If she was really like Yuuki-senpai, then she'd be screaming about Passion and such. But this girl just... Just by walking, she started to weigh down the world around her. Such a different feel...

Agatha blushed a bit. Damnit, this was why she didn't go to the theater. All the hot girls were here. The kind she couldn't compete with as a result of her... Less than stellar figure. "Y-Yeah, we're guests. What about it?" She muttered. If only she could rock that kind of look without feeling like she was being squeezed into a can of fish.

The cool girl smiled as she gently bowed down before the two. "My name is Akemi Hokori. It's been a while since we've had unannounced guests. Though, I regret to inform you that we unfortunately don't have a play to perform for you at this hour, but you're both free to sit in on our rehearsal, if that would please girls like you."

"Hokori? Are you Yua's sister?" Mikai asked, tilting her head slightly. Now that she looked at her a bit, the two did resemble one another... And that would also explain the pin-like stars that kept her cape attached to her shoulder.

Akemi nodded and smiled. "I'm glad to see that she has a couple of friends. Especially ones that are as enthused about theatre as I am." She explained, all while a bit of sweat started to pour down the side of her head. "Granted, if she would just stop wearing that black suit she's gotten so interested in, that'd lift a weight off my back."

"..." Agatha narrowed her eyes a bit as she let a thought bounce through her mind. And she leaned forward, whispering into the bowing girl's ear. An offer that might just give her the chance to wear something like what she wore, without any issues like being too big for the outfit...

"Oh? Ohoho? Well, you have yourself a deal." Akemi smiled as she stood back up, shaking the drill-haired girl's hand before clearing her throat. "Both of you, please find a seat in the main hall. We'll perform our rehearsal soon. I'm sure you'll both enjoy it too!" She laughed pridefully as she left the two alone, satisfaction filling her heart.

"What were you whispering to her about, Agatha?" Mikai asked as the two slowly made their way into the main hall, tilting her head ever slightly. She didn't know the big girl could handle making deals...

Agatha turned towards her with a wink and a finger pinned against her lips. "Secret. You'll find out later, if I can make it happen:" She grinned. Heh. If this went well, she'd sweep that short girl off her feet. Then maybe... Yeah, that was definitely possible.

Mikai really didn't know what to think. but if Agatha was happy, then she probably didn't have anything to worry about. For now, they just had to sit down and get ready.

---

The lights went out some time after they had sat down. Maybe a little too long after that point, because it almost felt as if they were getting a bit too sleepy.

"Is it starting? God, it's been like..." Agatha muttered as she slowly looked at the watch she had in her pocket, an oversized old piece of work with a cartoonish depiction of herself inside the device... Only to grimace. "Wait, it's only been like 15 minutes." She muttered. Damnit, time, go faster.

Mikai stretched and stretched as she yawned. It really did feel like time had gone much faster. But maybe she just hadn't slept very well today. Maybe she was just getting a bit... Well, tired. Oh well, at least something fun was about to start.

The two turned their attention towards the stage, and they heard a set of heels clicking against the ground. Not long after that, the redheaded girl that had greeted them stepped onto the stage, with a determined look on her face. And a sword in her hand, as she started speaking.

"A world without borders... A world where I can stand alongside my allies, united as one. That is all I wish for. And to that end, I will fight, no matter what!"

Akemi slashed straight ahead, as the light suddenly shut off. And she started to walk back behind the curtain, as four more lights started to illuminate around her. All depicting her fellow actors, who were ready to give their speeches for their cause...

Except that didn't happen. Instead, all that she heard was laughter and giggling, as the lights on stage started to turn pink. Prompting the girl to turn back towards the girls that she considered her friends...

Standing there, illuminated by the pink light, were four identical girls wrapped in capes that weren't unlike the one draped across her shoulder. The main difference was the fact that it completely covered their bodies, while a mask covered their faces. The only thing that stood out about them was their hair, and even then they all had their hair done in an identical fashion, all of it reaching down to their knees...

"What is the meaning of this?!" Akemi shouted, clenching her hand around the blade's handle. Those were her friends. They were... Were they turned into some sort of maniac, just like her sister had been!? No, that couldn't be it. Her sister had been covered in latex. She had been turned into one of those Pawns. This wasn't the case. Then what was happening, exactly..?

Mikai wasn't dumb enough to notice that things had gone way off script at least a couple minutes ago, as she got up from her chair. "Agatha, you should run." She said, looking down at her strong friend. She knew what this was about. That mark on the back of the ticket... It was more important than she originally had realized.

Agatha grit her teeth a bit, before solemnly nodding. "Make sure that Mimoto gets here, Mikai. And don't get in her way, you'd be better off running when you're done!" With that, she got up from her chair and took off.

Mikai smiled. Even as she heard the sound of violence, probably caused by Agatha bowling through a couple of those masked girls on the way out. One way or another, the girl was going to get to safety. And if these girls were really controlled by a Cosmos Queen like she thought, then they could endure a bit of roughhousing.

For now, she had to transform. Her hand stretched out diagonally in front of her, as she drew it back and felt the flames covering her body...

"HENSHIN!"

A bright light overwhelmed the darkened room, as Jõtaider Mimoto jumped onto the stage, landing with her back pinned up against the sword-wielding actress who had impressed her so much.

"You... You're that heroine that's been the talk of the town!" Akemi said, a wave of relief overwhelming her body. "Will you lend me your aid in this time of need, so we can free my friends from this evil influence?" She asked, as she looked at the four masked girls...

Mimoto nodded. "I'll reach out and save them. I'd say run, but..." She paused, grinning underneath her helmet. "You want to save them too, so you just keep up the best you can!" She shouted, her flames igniting and spreading across her body. She was really fired up today.

Heroine and Actress, back to back with their bodies ready to serve as one big weapon. No matter what would come at them, they were ready. As the script deemed it so...

"Ohohoho! Yes, yes, play along, play along and get woven into your roles! You'll be wonderful, once your masks have slipped on!"

Both the Heroine and the Actress' eyes darted around to try and find the woman that was laughing at them, only for the pink light to fly off the girl's masked friends and onto an equally masked lady, one with ram horns sticking out of her mask and perfectly fitting around the very same ram horns that stuck out of her head...

Of course, there was more to her than a simple mask. The rest of her outfit was almost as extravagant as the one that Akemi wore, just with darker colors. And instead of a single cape draped over her shoulders or hanging off one, two opposing capes rested on each shoulder of hers. Leaving her with her midsection, which was emphasized thanks to a wonderful piece of cleavage, uncovered by her accessories. And at the same time emblazoned with the symbol of Aries on both of her breasts...

"You're one of those Cosmos Queens, aren't you!?" Mimoto cried out. This was bad. It'd be one thing to fight against a Jõtaijin with a civilian behind her, even one as capable as as Akemi. But a Cosmos Queen? That was on a whole new level...

"Actress Aries, at your service." The ram-masked woman said, grinning as she bowed down and her short lavender hair complimented the rest of her form... "Mimoto. You've played right into my script. I have to thank you for that. I didn't expect you to follow it to the letter, but you truly have. And don't worry, I've fit you into a perfect role as well..."

"Role? Script?" Akemi's grip on her blade tightened a bit harder, the handle itself starting to creak from the amount of pressure she put on it. "If this is all in your script... Then it's my duty to make sure it doesn't come to pass. No matter what!" She shouted, bringing the blade close to her face as she closed her eyes and focused her mind as squarely on the task at hand as possible. "Mimoto! You take her, I'll deal with them!"

"You've got it!" Mimoto cried out as she dashed straight ahead at Aries, fist covered in flames as she got ready to fight against yet another one of those villainous ladies. Honestly, who had done all of this to make them so evil? What made them try to break and corrupt people like this? At least she kind of understood why Golden Freedom were doing it, but this...

Actress Aries just grinned as the girl came right at her. And right as it seemed like she was about to hit her, she slammed her face straight into an invisible wall. "Behold. The Crystal Stage!" She laughed, as her visage became translucent as a cage of pure color started to surround the stage, but more specifically the area in which Mimoto, Akemi and the other masked girls were stuck...

"As long as you're in my script, you have to stay on the stage!" Aries cried out, all while Mimoto struggled to punch through the wall. And while Akemi was busy aggressing on her fellow actors.

The masked girls each drew their blades. Though theirs were covered in a pink liquid, probably something that came from them as they drew the blade from between their legs, not from their hips. They even licked the blade, giggling and whimpering as they all started to shiver.

Akemi dashed towards each of them, clashing. And with every clash, more of that pink liquid splattered onto her body, causing her to shiver as a heat started to build within her. She didn't like it, she hated it in fact. It made her think of what her sister had become. What she had been consumed by.

Even if she tried to slash at them, the very same liquid splashed onto her from their 'wounds'. It was getting to her quickly, the 'blood' covering her as she panted and gasped. She couldn't do much against her dearest friends, even if they had been converted and controlled like this... Her heart just wouldn't allow it.

"Akemi! Hold on!" Mimoto cried out, turning her attention away from the wall for a brief moment as she tried to dash towards the girl that was at the mercy of her fellow actors. Each of those controlled girls giggling as they raised their blades...

But she couldn't get near. If anything, it felt like she was running endlessly, destined to never reach her. No matter how hard she tried, no matter how much she ran. It was like her role was to be two steps away from saving her...

"And thus, the heroine fell. Though the borders between the kingdoms were shattered, so were the minds of her allies. And they were more than happy to share their madness with her, piercing through her and contaminating her with their lustful cravings for battle and mayhem!" Aries recited, producing a script from her sleeve as she cackled.

Akemi barely got a moment to scream as the four blades covered in that pink liquid pierced through her. And the light that shone down on her, depicting and emphasizing her fall, slowly but surely turned the same shade of pink...

All while she slowly started to giggle just like the others, her cape growing until it completely consumed her. As the pink liquid, the 'blood' of her fellow actors, poured its way onto her face and crystalized into an identity eliminating mask. Erasing her for the time being, and adding her to the ranks of the faceless actors...

Her transformation was swift. But that was what her role was. To swiftly be swept aside, so the play could focus on its star. The heroine that had been fighting against the Cosmos Queens... Mimoto...

"You... You're a monster..." Mimoto muttered. There was something especially heinous about Aries. Something about the cruelty of what she had done resonated within her. She could feel her body trembling, her heart racing. She wanted to do... She wanted to... She wanted to..!

'Pull yourself together, Mikai!'

Chimera's voice snapped her out of her impending rage, the girl panting as she grabbed ahold of her helmet, tossing it aside to give herself some breathing space. All while she focused on the Cosmos Queen. "I'm not... I'm not going to follow that script of yours..!" She cried out, the flames of her emotions wrapping around her. This woman... She was going to pay for what she had done.

Aries just smiled as she snapped her fingers. And the script went up in flames, alongside the colorful wall that had separated her from the heroine. "That script has run its course. But your role in my plays has not. Especially now that she's arrived."

"She..?" Mikai muttered as the lights turned out once more, all while the masked actors giggled, utterly consumed by their lust. She'd have to save them later, right now she needed to know what she was up against.

The light turned on once more right in front of the Actress. And illuminated by the light pouring down on her was a girl that was about Mikai's size, dressed in a maid uniform that looked eerily familiar. A girl that was brimming with rage, not unlike what Mikai currently was.

"I hope that you find these conditions favorable, Leo. Now put up a good show, and act out your role in our Empress' Cosmic Play!" Actress Aries giggled, clapping her hands together as another Crystal Stage formed, encapsulating the space around the two girls. Isolating them in the process...

The maid uniform-clad girl, whose hair was more akin to a lion's mane as it stretched below her shoulders, grabbed ahold of her outfit and tossed it off. In that very instant, a nebula formed across her skin before it solidified and formed a set of thick looking armor, not unlike the kind that Mikai wore. Just with a lot more direct theming after the King of Beasts, as well as the constellation of Leo embedded in the chest, each of its stars shining brightly.

"I am Legendary Leo! On my Empress' honor, I will strike you down for everything you've done to seduce her, Mimoto!" She declared, as the power of the stars started to resonate off her body. She wasn't going to hold back. Not unlike her allies. She was going to show this girl what it meant to stand against the Cosmos Queens... And show her what it meant to tear Andromeda away from her, when she had been the one to save her!

Mikai trembled a bit as she felt that pressure. This was a completely different feeling from the other Cosmos Queens... But she couldn't back down. Not after what Aries had done. So what if she had to fight another Cosmos Queen on top of the other one? She could do it!

"If I beat you, you're going to tell me what's so important about this Andromeda! I don't even know who she is!" Mikai cried out, all while making a mad dash towards the girl ahead of her. It didn't matter that she had the same sort of aesthetic, she probably didn't have the same sort of power!

Leo watched that despicable girl run at her. And as the lights shone across her chest, she vanished. Just like that, lightning fast. By the time that she reappeared, she was already behind the girl. "You're going to have to keep up, if you want that answer." She said, dangling a prize in front of the girl's eyes in the process.

Mikai tried to turn around, only for a severe shock to blow through her. She felt like she had just been zapped by several lightning bolts... Or at least, that's what she thought it felt like. She wasn't an expert on that kind of stuff, she just knew that it hurt. How was that girl so fast..?

Leo grinned a bit as she suddenly disappeared again, leaving little more than a trail of lightning in her wake. This time, she reappeared near Aries, who couldn't be more pleased to see this playing out exactly as she had scripted it.

The heroine took a moment to breathe, before letting the flames wash off her body... And then freeze. "CHOU HENSHIN!" She shouted, the frozen flames shattering as her armor turned from that of a Lion into that of a Wolf. If she needed speed, then this was the form to go with.

Just like that, the stage froze over. Not just the floor below her. But the crystalized wall as well, leaving the colors completely frozen and Aries with a terrible view of what was happening inside. If she wasn't aware of what was happening, how could she be sure that her script was being followed? That was Mikai's logic, anyway.

Leo just watched. Slowly stepping into the middle of the stage, watching the subtle claw marks smashing against the floor and the walls. Keeping a close eye on the speedy heroine. Was this the true power of the one that had managed to seduce her Empress..?

"ALPHA EDGE!"

Mikai shouted as a multi-layered series of slashes carved their way across the floor. The speed she had reached now was beyond anything she had reached before. All for the sake of hitting Leo. No matter how she'd try to dodge, she wouldn't be able to get out of this unscathed..!

"Pathetic."

She didn't dodge. Leo just caught the final slashes as they all happened. It didn't matter that Mikai was moving so quickly that it seemed like she was striking several times at the same moment. Leo was still faster. In fact, the mere act of snatching her claw out of the air was enough to send several hundred thousand volts straight through the heroine, rendering her in crippling pain... And that was before the Cosmos Queen tossed the girl straight at one of the walls, causing her to fall down and her armor to shatter from the impact.

Mikai could feel it. She could feel her body trying to contain all of the electricity that had just poured through her. It felt like a ton of needles had just pierced through her. It felt... It felt like she couldn't stand. Because of all the pain. Because of the crushing realization that she was so utterly outclassed that there was no way that she was going to win. That the Cosmos Queens finally pulled off the kid gloves to deal with her once and for all...

"Is this all that you can muster?" Leo said, refusing to step towards the heroine. Just glaring down at her. "I can't believe Andromeda would find you entertaining. Much less interesting. You're the very worst she's ever laid her eyes on. And the fact that you've been able to put up a fight... It's a disgrace upon my allies, rather than anything else." She scoffed. She shouldn't have been worried. But now, the girl had been crushed. There was no way that she was going to put up a fight any longer... And then, this world too would fall to the Darkness. Andromeda would return to them... And she would be happy.

Leo closed her eyes... Only to then twitch a little, as she felt an uncomfortable heat start to fill the stage. The ice melted off the walls as she opened her eyes, and laid her eyes on the source of the burning will to stay standing...

It was Mikai. The girl had managed to stand back up. Even as the armor had shattered off her body. Her eyes were shining bright gold, all while pure fire left her lips with every breath she drew. The only reason she was still standing... Was no doubt due to the sheer fact she couldn't accept this defeat...

"I don't... I don't care about whoever this Andromeda is..." The heroine said, all while the flames that left her mouth wrapped around her, forming her Flame Lion armor once more. It was terribly cracked, but it would do. It even sprouted a tattered scarf around her neck, the fabric fluttering in the wind despite the fact the edges were very clearly on fire... "But I can't lose. Not to you... NOT HERE!"

The voice of Chimera had long since been drowned out. Any attempt to reach the girl fell on deaf ears at this point, her singleminded wish to win and beat this girl being the only thing in her mind.

Leo stood there, watching as the lion-armored girl ran at her. And slowly but surely, a layer of electricity covered her. If the girl was going to give her all to try and beat her, even burning out her life in the process... Then she would meet it headon. Though she was pathetic, she could grant her that courtesy at the very least.

"KING'S FLAME!" Mikai cried out as she leapt into the air, the flames of her will enveloping her as they turned from red to blue, the sheer power propelling her forward as she stretched out her leg. She flew straight towards the girl who had given her this much trouble. This was everything she had...

The kick made contact with the barrier of electricity. And it started to crack, threatening to push past the girl's defenses. Was the girl truly going to-

"ATOMIC ROAR!"

In that moment, the Cosmos Queen let loose a roar. And all of the electricity in her body shot skyward, consuming Mikai in the process. Shattering the stage, letting the colorful shards impale themselves in the stage...

And by the time the electricity stopped flowing, there was nothing left of the stage, nor of the heroine that had burnt herself out. The only thing left behind was the girl, Mikai, sweating and groaning in the arms of her enemy.

"Satisfied with your scripted victory, my dear Leo?" Actress Aries chimed, stepping closer as she clapped ever gently. "We should let the Empress know. So she understands that this world has run its course."

Leo nodded. As she looked down at the girl that had earned her ire. And the girl that had done anything to win, even though she was horribly outclassed.

As the Darkness opened to let the two depart, there was only one thing remaining inside her heart...

...Why did this feel so unsatisfying..?